These Path's We Take
by r2roswell
Summary: Takes place minutes after Cora banished Emma & Neal to the woods.
1. Part I

**Part 1**

* * *

"Where is she," asked Neal looking around, "Where did she go?"

"Um," said Emma, "I don't think we're in Gold's shop anymore."

"Then where the hell are we," Neal asked even though like Emma he clearly saw a bunch of woods around him.

"I don't know," said Emma, "Guess we'd better start walking."

"That's your plan, just start walking?"

"You got a better one?"

Neal felt in his pockets only to discover that his cell phone wasn't there. He had left it on the table in Gold's shop. Emma did the same. She found something in her left coat pocket and pulled it out. It was nothing but the invisible chalk. That wouldn't help them now so she placed it back. She then searched her other pockets and found her cell.

Emma pointed her cell upward in several different directions.

"That's just great, no reception and the battery is almost dead."

Emma began rounding the curve of the path.

Less than ten minutes ago she and Neal had been at the back of Gold's shop ready to protect him. Cora had made her way in and Neal took a defensive stance in front of Emma. Though Neal's act was noble it did them no good since Cora whisked them out of the way with a wave of her hand, the two of them disappearing in a purple haze.

"Can't you just use magic to get us back?" Neal asked. "I mean you did with that invisible chalk and that force field thing."

"Now you're wanting me to use magic? A few hours ago you were being judgy over the fact that I was magical."

"That was before magic got us stuck in the middle of nowhere. Now maybe it could get us out."

"I am not using magic."

"Why not, what's the harm?"

Emma looked at Neal, "You seriously did not just ask me that considering you're the one who's against magic."

"Sorry wrong question." Neal placed his one hand in his pocket, his other still holding the sword. "So how is it you're magical anyways?"

Emma looked over at Neal, "Cliff notes version: I'm the product of true love. That's supposed to be the most magical of all powers so whatever it was my parents had got transferred to me. Guess you could say it's in my DNA."

"Now that's a first. Normally I've only heard of people learning magic, not it being genetically altered in them.

"Lucky me," Emma said trying not to be impressed.

In truth she was. She had used magic a couple times before, first with true love's kiss to wake up Henry and second to use a dream catcher to discover what had allegedly happened to Archie. Today though was the first time she really allowed herself to feel the power.

She enjoyed it immensely but that's also what had scared her deep down. She had seen the dark side of magic first hand with Regina, Cora, and even Gold. Emma could understand why Neal had spent years running from magic. It was scary and also addicting. It could become a crutch if the user let it.

That was why she was not allowing herself to use it now. Other than not knowing what to do, or how to get them back in a magical way, she was not willing to risk magic becoming a lifeline even if it was one she was born with. She would find a balance and a line and drawing that line right now seemed like the right thing.


	2. Part II

**Part 2**

* * *

The two had continued on in a deep silence for a while. It was awkward being alone like this.

"Just how deep are these woods any way," Neal asked finally being the first to speak.

"You'd be surprised," said Emma.

"I didn't know Maine even had woods like these."

"Neither did I but it is Storybrooke, things aren't what you always expect them to be. We have this annual thing called Miners Day."

"Miner's Day so what they mine for lobster or something?"

Emma laughed a little. "You'd think. The nuns would trade handmade candles for the coal the miners dug up." Emma saw the look Neal was giving her, "It sounds crazy but when you add in the dwarves and the fact that the fairies are the nuns it makes sense."

"It's strange that talking about all this stuff seems so normal."

"Yeah," said Emma. "Who knew we would be talking about things like magic and fairies and dwarves." Emma motioned to the sword Neal was still carrying, "Who knew I'd ever get to see you wield that thing. You're actually pretty good."

"Centuries of practice," Neal said with a small laugh.

"Does Tamara know?"

Neal smile and nodded, "Wondered when we'd get there."

"Get where? She's a part of your life so it's a valid question."

"Well to answer it, no she doesn't know."

"You're engaged and she doesn't know who you really are?"

"There was no reason to tell her. I never thought I'd have this life again."

"Still you're marrying her. Shouldn't all of this have come up at some point?"

"What I tell her is my business."

"Okay fine. For what it's worth I never thought I'd have this life either so you're not the only one holding back." said Emma.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You think I wanted to see you again? I was just on a favor to Gold, I didn't expect the person I was looking for to be you of all people. I mean what there's like seven billion people in this world alone and then add in the numbers from countless others. Seriously what are the odds of something like that happening?"

"Maybe it's not about odds, maybe it's about fate."

"Here we go again."

"Think about it Emma- the only reason my father created that curse was so that he could find me. It was your job to break the curse so that by doing that you not only saved your parents and the town but it got you to help him find me."

"That still doesn't really explain how we ended up together. You saw your dad's face that day in the apartment. He really had no idea that we knew each other. If he did he would've been more sinister like he had acquired a new possession or something but he didn't. He was as shocked as anyone else would be."

"My father may be the Dark One but he's not God Emma. Even he doesn't know everything. The upside to that is despite how manipulative he can be we're not pawns in his games, not really. Everything we do, we do our selves."

"That's exactly what he said."

"Guess he got that one thing right. If he really controlled us then he wouldn't' have been surprised that we knew each other. Maybe there was just some larger form of fate out there, something that not even my father could have foreseen."

"You really believe that don't you?"

"How can you not?"

"I don't know. I guess because I want to believe that despite fate and all that I want to believe I have some form control of my life. It's easier to believe that you got me knocked up and left. It's normal for things to happen like that. It's harder to know that some form of higher power might be pulling all the strings."

"But then we're not normal are we? We never have been. We've both been hiding from the truth for so long that our denial has come to define who we are."

Emma just looked at Neal. He was right that part. August had once called her on it, saying that her denial was more powerful than he thought it was. Emma may not have grown up knowing who she really was or where she was from the way Neal had but that didn't change the fact that she had been in a state of denial before the curse had broken. Henry had believed in the curse deeply and she didn't believe any of it. Growing up she had never believed in a higher power either so it was more than Henry's stories that kept her from believing, it was her whole life. She had always believed what she could see, what made sense. She had never really gone on faith. What happened happened and that was the end of it and if something could not be explained logically she would make it so.

"So what happens now," Neal asked. "With us I mean."

Emma shrugged, "I don't know. Figure it out as we go along I guess. Henry likes having you around so it might be good for him but you can't just bail."

"I don't plan on it. I'm in for the rest of his life."

"Are you sure," she asked, "because that's a really long time."

"I'm not going anywhere. I may have to go back to New York for a while but I want to be there for Henry. You've had what eleven years with him-,"

Before Neal could go on Emma stopped him right there, "One actually."

"One?"

Emma looked away, "I gave Henry up for adoption Neal."

"You did what?"

"Hey don't judge. I was eighteen and in jail. I knew Henry deserved better than me."

"So was it an open adoption or did you find him?"

"No, he found me actually. We haven't really talked about it, about how he knew he was adopted. I just remember seeing a website on his computer where he tracked me down."

"Smart kid," said Neal.

"You have no idea."

"And us, what's going on there?"

"Would you stop saying that, there is no us. There's you and Tamara and then there's me."

"You know what I mean- I didn't mean us like that I just meant what's going on between you and me as individuals? We're not together but since I'm gonna be a part of Henry's life I'm also going to be a part of yours."

"I guess we'll just try to be friends for now. That's really all we can do."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Are you?"

Neither of them answered the others question and continued walking.


	3. Part III

**Part 3**

* * *

By the time Emma and Neal reached the road it had gotten dark out. They had continued talking, mostly about banalities, their lives but not going into full detail.

Emma opened the door to Gold's shop even though there was a closed sign on it. Neal stood behind her.

"Gold," Emma called out.

Mr. Gold came in from the back room and smiled at the two.

"Ah Miss Swan," he said, "I was beginning to think Cora sent you to another world."

"I'm done world traveling for a while," said Emma.

She looked at Neal who looked just as confused as she did.

"How are you healed," Neal asked his father.

"I have your mother to thank for that one Miss Swan," Gold replied still smiling. It quickly faded, "Though you really should go home. She's not doing so well."

Emma stepped forward not liking where this was going. "What are you talking about, what happened? What did you do to her?"

Gold laughed, "I did nothing. Really Miss Swan, go home. Your family needs you right now."

Emma didn't want to press him. His words enough were able to convince her of his urgency.

"Bae," Gold called out. "I was hoping you'd stay a while."

Neal shook his head, "You're better now.

"Bae, please," Gold pleaded.

"You were dying. Now that you're not you don't need me anymore and I don't need you."

* * *

On the walk over to the apartment neither Emma nor Neal said anything. She opened the door with her keys and walked in.

"You're home," Henry said rushing from the table to hug his mom. "Where've you been?"

"Cora sent us on a long hike," Emma said wrapping her arm around her son.

Neal closed the door behind him.

Emma looked around and saw that Mary Margaret was lying on her bed and David sat beside her. He patted his wife's leg that was hidden in the covers and got up, coming toward her small family.

Emma continued to hold onto Henry.

"What's going on," she asked David.

David placed his hands in his pockets, "Cora's dead," he said softly.

"What," said Neal, "How?"

For a while no one said anything. Emma looked over at her mother. Though Mary Margaret's back was turned toward them she could clearly sense the pain she was in. Emma had found her broken like that once before.

"It wasn't direct," said David breaking the silence. "Mary Margaret cursed Cora's heart so when Regina placed it in, Gold's injury got transferred."

"That's how Gold looked as if nothing happened," said Emma. She turned and looked at Neal, "That's how he got better."

Neal could only nod. "I should probably go," he said.

Emma placed one hand to her temple and then brought it back down, "There's a bed and breakfast behind Granny's diner on the main street. It's not hard to find."

Henry stepped away from Emma. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

Neal smiled at Emma and then at Henry, "That's what I'm here for."

Emma walked Neal to the door and he stood outside in the hallway. Emma placed her hands on the door frame. "Neal, thanks."

"You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you then."

Emma watched as Neal walked down the small hall and then made his way down the stairs. She closed the door and shook the odd feelings that were starting to stir within her.

She took a deep breath and looked to her mother's room. Emma made her way and not saying anything she lay on the bed next to her mother as she had once before.

* * *

**~END~**


End file.
